Sylvester Stallone will return to the world of boxing
The creator of the legendary Rocky franchise will make another contribution to the popularization of sports. As it became known to the publication Deadline, Sylvester Stallone will tell the life story of the first black world heavyweight boxing champion.Jack Johnson, nicknamed the Galveston giant, was born in 1878 to a family of former slaves. Jack became interested in boxing as a teenager. To buy boxing gloves, a 16-year-old boy from a poor family had to get a job as a janitor in a gym. Jack's first fee for winning an amateur duel was $ 1.50. Johnson realized that he should not delay becoming a professional. In November 1898, the boxer held his first official fight and won a landslide victory by knockout in the second round.  The sports career of the Galveston giant developed rapidly. Already in 1903, he won the title of the strongest black heavyweight. Over the next five years, Johnson tried several times unsuccessfully to challenge the white-skinned champion James J. Jeffries. According to the rules in force at that time, African American boxers could only fight with the holder of the championship belt with his consent. In 1908, the new title holder, Australian Tommy Burns, agreed to fight Jack. The fight for the world title lasted 14 rounds and was stopped due to police intervention. Johnson won the fight by decision. In 1910, Jack organized the highly anticipated boxing match with Jeffries. The "Duel of the Century" attracted twenty thousand spectators and brought Johnson not only a victory, but also a check for $ 65 thousand. The champion used this money to go into business. Thanks to Jack, several nightclubs opened in America, which were allowed to enter people of any skin color. In 1912, an implacable fighter against racial segregation fell victim to racism. The US authorities prosecuted him for violating the so-called Mann Act under the ridiculous article "Transporting a woman to another state for immoral purposes." Boxer and his wife Lucille Cameron had to flee the United States. In 1920, the Galveston giant returned to his homeland and served almost ten months in Leavenworth Prison.  In 2008, for the first time, there was talk in America that Johnson's good name should be cleared. However, neither George W. Bush nor Barack Obama have resolved the issue of the boxer's presidential pardon. Soon after Donald Trump's inauguration, Sylvester Stallone joined the battle to restore Jack's reputation. The Hollywood star's arguments turned out to be very convincing, and on May 24 this year, the US President issued an official decree on the complete posthumous rehabilitation of Johnson.  Stallone's new production firm, Balboa Productions, will be producing the film about the Galveston giant. The young studio will be supported by the MGM film company. Stallone's involvement in the project has yet to be disclosed. It is possible that due to the busy work schedule, Slay will have to limit himself to the role of a producer. Sylvester is currently filming the sequel to the boxing drama Creed: Rocky's Legacy, with work ahead of him on the fifth film about Rambo's adventures and the fourth part of The Expendables. The Topic of Article: Sylvester Stallone will return to the world of boxing. |
